March 19, 2015 at
7:41 PM

- Through two days of game action, the standout performer at
the plate has been infielder Michael Chavis. Chavis has made hard contact in
almost every at-bat, including a home run, double, and triple on Wednesday along
with two singles and another hard-hit line drive for an out on Thursday. Chavis
doesn’t have a prototypical third baseman physical profile, listed at
5-foot-10, 180 pounds. He has a physically mature body for his age, with a
strong lower half, core, and upper body and limited physical projection
remaining. At the plate, Chavis hits from a slightly open stance with some
pre-pitch movement before eventually settling into a solid hitting position.
Chavis has a very advanced bat for a high school draftee with plus bat speed,
quick hands at the plate, and excellent bat control. The ball really jumps off
his bat and he has shown the ability to barrel it up with backspin. What has
stood out the most, however, is his ability to hit to all fields with power.
Out of his five hits, four of them went the other way to right field with the
home run the only hit he pulled. He doesn’t try to do too much, rather taking
what the pitcher gives him. The 19-year-old demonstrated this on Wednesday by
staying back and driving outside fastballs to right field on his double and
triple then kept his weight back to clear out a changeup down and in for a home
run to left field. Chavis’ advanced bat and demeanor at the plate are more than
ready to handle an initial assignment to full-season ball, where he should
serve as one of the key cogs in the Greenville lineup.

- Though Yoan Aybar has yet to appear in a game, based upon
how he has looked in morning defensive workouts and batting practice, it is
easy to understand why he is considered one of the more exciting prospects in
the low minors. Still only 17 years old, Aybar has a tall, projectable frame,
but a very young face. He is very lanky at present, with plenty of room to fill
out without losing any of his present athleticism as he physically matures.
Aybar’s length stands out in the outfield where he covers ground very quickly
with long strides. During outfield drills, he got good reads and showed a quick
first step. However, he did have some trouble with the transfer from his glove
to his throwing hand when charging in on balls. At the plate, Aybar hits from a
slightly open stance with wide base. He keeps his hands high and uses a toe tap
timing device. In live batting practice, he had some trouble recognizing off-speed
pitches, but with someone his age that is to be expected. Aybar has quick hands
and utilizes his whole body in his swing. During batting practice, he showed
the ability to square a ball up with backspin, but due to his lack of strength
over-the-fence power could take some time to develop. Aybar is a long way from
being a finished product, but the raw tools are impressive. If his development
goes as planned, he is someone that could work his way up towards the upper
echelon of prospects in the system.

Quick hits:

- Jamie Callahan has filled out considerably since he joined
the organization, especially in his lower half. He has also cleaned up his
delivery, but he still throws directly over the top with a long arm action and a
slight pause at the height of his delivery. He sat 91-93 mph, topping out at 95
mph in his first inning of work. However, he lost some velocity as he worked
deeper into his outing and struggled to control the pitch. When he didn’t
finish his delivery, he left pitches up in the zone where it was on the straight
side and very hittable. He also mixed in a 74-76 mph 12-6 curveball and
mid-to-high 80s changeup. The curveball showed the most potential as he spun
off a couple solid-average ones.

- 2014 27th-round pick Taylor Nunez struggled
with his command and control, but his raw stuff was intriguing in a bullpen
role. Nunez has a solid pitcher’s frame, listed at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds with
some room to fill out. He throws from a high three-quarters arm slot with a
stab when he brings the ball behind his body. He has a live arm, his fastball
sitting 92-94 mph with late movement. He struggled with his command of the
pitch especially when trying to locate it to the glove side. Nunez also showed
an 11-5 curveball at 80 mph with some depth through the zone when he snapped it
off.

- Edwar Garcia has a tall, lanky frame with some physical
projection remaining. He sat in the low 90s Wednesday, mixing in a 76-77 sweepy
11-5 curveball and an 86 mph changeup that was on the firm side. There are some
issues with his delivery, as it is arm-heavy, not effectively incorporating his
lower half. He was also landing hard and off balance and wasn’t keeping his
line to the plate. The result was his command and control suffered.

Photo credit: Michael Chavis and Jamie Callahan by Kelly O'Connor

Ian Cundall is Director of Scouting for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @IanCundall.